Saturday, April 03, 2010

Delinking Energy Policy from Climate Science?

“Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus have an essay up at Yale e360 arguing that in the wake of Climategate, energy policy should be made independent of climate science. The piece is already beginning to set the climate blogosphere aflutter, with coverage from the National Journal, E&E News (subs. req'd), The Hill, and the North County Times.

“While Michael and Ted's argument has particular resonance in the wake of Climategate, in truth, they have been making this argument for a long time.

“In their 2004, "The Death of Environmentalism" they argued that energy policy should be motivated by concern for national security and the economy:

“Literal-sclerosis can be seen in the assumption that to win action on global warming one must talk about global warming instead of, say, the economy, industrial policy, or health care. "If you want people to act on global warming" stressed [then-Sierra Club staffer Dan] Becker, "you need to convince them that action is needed on global warming and not on some ulterior goal."

This blog is part of the ongoing work of the American River Parkway Preservation Society to provide public education and advocacy around public policy issues that may be related to the Parkway and the adjacent communities along the American River in Sacramento, California.